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Topic: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Really, are they complete? Does the audience want more of them, or should horror move on? Distinction, "28 days Later" is not a zombie movie - it is a pandimic viral movie. Don't get me wrong, I like zombie stuff, but I have not seen anythng original in a long time...

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Well, I think I have had enough for alittle while.. At least new zombie movies.. I will always go back and pull out Dawn of the Dead and Zombi 2.. But I think you are right. If there is a zombie movie that brings something original to the sub genre I will watch it.. But for now I think filmmakers should step back for awhlie and try and do something different..

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Zombie movies need new ideas thrown in and not the same old stuff. George Romero (whether you liked it or not, i know i did) took zombies and actually did something that some were expecting but it raised the opinions on the movies. Land of the Dead (and even Day to some extent) gave the zombies more and more qualities that added to the zombie formula by saying "they're still dead, but they're beginning to act alive again." great idea it was, i think thats what zombie movies need (and not being able to sprint faster than any track team should )

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

I'm not even sure they need "new things", perhaps a new direction, but "new things" goes under so many categories.

How about a blockbuster? Each of Romero's films were fresh because they had different direction, but yet heralded the same feel and character devlopment, albeit with zombie evolution. It didn't require new zombies, just small changes. I wont include Land here because that doesn't really seem to fit with the original trilogy.

But zombie movies have turned fairly stale due to the incomprehensible idea of many new directors thinking "Romero invented the zombie genre...so let's copy his style!" Again, it's just my opinion, but even copying form people can be fresh, like Edgar Wright's use of the Evil Dead steadicam or many, many homages to other directors.

If someone had enough rescources, or just generally the amount that Spielberg gets for his movies, I'm pretty sure that zombie movies would increase in style, popularity, and overall, new ideas. As long as a film has to rely on few camera the "quality and famous actors" fans will always believe it's cheap and tacky and not worthy next to blockbusters, The uninformed are the majority, the majority don't believe in intelligence.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Well I'm really looking forward to Wanted: Undead or Alive.. That will be a zombie western.. Which is something I have never seen before and it will be done with a decent budget so you can bet that it will at least have some good looking zombies, good actors, and some nice set pieces..

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

What would I pay to see...good question, it'd probably something more than the usual cheesy acting we get (I love it, but you know, sometimes it's hard to take seriously), take it away from the single large area, go out and into the world with it.

I remember as a stupid teen reading the back of the VHS box of Day of the Dead, I imagined something like a team of soldiers and scientists going through a city trying to survive, managing to find a missile silo, where they come into contact with Logan and his undead friends. Misinterpretation of course, but I kept playing that idea out in my head until I saw Day, and I was both dissapointed, but relieved.

An epic, in other words, if the world has one real zombie epic I would happily take a lot of cheesey movies. Hell, I'd watch Raiders of the Living Dead, Children, and Day of the Dead "2" in a row if that epic could get made.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

eviljohnmays wrote:

What could be done or what would you pay to see?

John is a filmmaker for those who have not caught on to that yet John my feeling is that their are 3 key things that need to be done to make for a good zombie movie that ALOT of people doing low budget just dont get. Its a pretty simple formula to

1 - Write a script, and rewrite it a few times so its not complete shit2 - Get some actors. Dont hire friends and families to be anything other then extras3 - Shoot it on something decent, whether its HD and then edit for film grain or 16mm.

HD isnt that expensive and you can make it look as good as 16 with the right software, and even if you dont do that a script and acting are MUST. I have watched so many potentially great movies that were brought down by shit acting or weak writing.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Point of correction sir, I am just the poor guy that tries to make things on camers look gross. Calling me a film maker gives me more credit than I am due, and until one of the flicks sees wide release, I am nothing more than an average Joe with a dream.

Most of the directors that I have worked with are on the HD program. Get real actors, check. Write and re-write the script, check. All of these are good answers.

Would anyone like to see things completely from the Zombie's point of view?

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Well George Romero tried to do it from the zombies view and to me it was a big turn off I dont want my zombies as people, and emotions, i want carnage. Im not one for horror flicks with social messages.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Yeah, the zombies point of view can be done alright, ala following Bub, and done too stupidly, and in conflict with the other side, as in Land of the Dead. Why would I feel sorry for things that have died and that eat human flesh unless they used to be family?

Social satire can be alright, it is put too upfront I feel in many films though.

Intelligent zombie movies, something like that I would like, nothign that will tell me why the Bush administration is wrong, but more like Dawn '78, make a comment on society and how it changes and such. Even just making intelligent dialogue makes it tenfold more interesting than "we don't deal wil terrorists," which again, just smelt of cheesy overuse of Romero's hatred for Senor Bush Jnr.

I've actually grown to like LOTD less.

What I did love was 28 Day's Later (I know it's not a zombie movie ), the isolation, the reality of it, where I loved Zombi 2 for being over the top and quite insane at points, I loved 28 Days Later for it's "no hope" feel.

Something new however, to base the plot around, not original I know, but the "aftermath" of a zombie apocalypse. It's been done to death, but it always seems to be based in the future and such, Mad Max style, and that just bores me. If folks could give a serious film about the rebuilding of society and struggling to kill off the remaining branches of the dead world, I think it'd draw me in a lot more than "we're stuck, let's stay, oh wait, now we're leaving" formula.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Ok try this - and unfortunately this idea would take $$$$ to make:

The black plague killed a third of Europe in the dark ages. They burned the bodies to contain things. What if only part of the deaths were black plague, and the major problem was a zombe-ism outbreak that actually spreading the plague farther and faster than had been seen before. The plague would eventually burn the zombie bodies out, ending most of the carnage.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Yeah, God that reminds me of a really old idea that some Roundhead re-enactors tried to do once, was good up until the 5 minute mark when they saw the budget

I think the present is too hard to do real horror, too many cameras, cell phones, bombs, rifle, helicopters, so the old idea where people had themselves and their mates to help fend off evil is better. Top idea.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

eviljohnmays wrote:

Ok try this - and unfortunately this idea would take $$$$ to make:

The black plague killed a third of Europe in the dark ages. They burned the bodies to contain things. What if only part of the deaths were black plague, and the major problem was a zombe-ism outbreak that actually spreading the plague farther and faster than had been seen before. The plague would eventually burn the zombie bodies out, ending most of the carnage.

No phones, no bombs -- just isolated people fending off the attack.

That is actually a really cool idea that could work well. Not a lot is known about the dark ages so that could explain why. Having to survive with little communications and may be a sword if you were rich would be a lot scarier than having an M16. There are a lot of really cool angles you could take with this.

Another movie I would like to see would be like a zombie survivor journal such as those that can be found on the internet (Alphdog, etc.) It would probably turn out like Andy's videos on the extra features of the Dawn of the Dead remake. Unfortunatly, although I would like something like this, it probably would not have mass appeal.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Zombie movies are like old school Walt Disney movies with everybody singing for everything.

Society changes, people change, so as their products...

But don't get me wrong: remmember Moulin Rouge and Chicago are musicals comming into a we-hate-musicals era... so probably a good story out of clches (something weird to find) may fit in this time for sure!

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Yeah, unfortunately sometimes it doesn't change for the better. I loved Chicago and found Moulin Rouge entertaining, however I also love Bridget Jones and Hugh Grant films (hate the bloke himself though).

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Zombie movies will never be a dead horse as long as George Romero is alive, Cause he takes his zombies to a new level with each dead film he makes, And im sure as long as guys like the Shaun of the Dead boys are around the world will never truly run out of good zombie movies, & even if so we will always have the great classics to watch.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

There is actually another movie out already that is from the side of a zombie. I, Zombie.. It has been distributed by Fangoria.. Its an OK movie, independent obviously.. It has its flaws but overall its no too bad..

Personally I want to see carnage.. I want to see the world falling apart. Not just an isolated incident.. I want to see Tokyo burning and London being overrun by the undead.. I want to see burning cars in Atlanta and folks held up in the barns in Iowa.. Full on apocolapsye..

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

I like the idea of zombies in the dark ages. Much of the dark ages most people were isolated working parts of larger estates. One family besieged by zombies that used to be friends/family members. This is what the whole zombie thing is about. George's first (and, in my humble opinion, his best) "Night of the Living Dead" took place in one night at one isolated farm house.

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Yea but to honest I think the isolation bit has been done to death.. That why I wanna see all out carnage.. People running in the streets.. That kind of thing.. People aren't so much isolated as they are being overrun.. Thats something I have yet to see done well..

Re: Are Zombie moves a dead horse?

Yah, I think Cell had a great thing about that, being a wee bit more widespread than the usual zombie stuff, and as Roth wants to do a "world view" sort of thing for the film adaption...it could be great.